morning gift

Meaning

Noun

• A gift traditionally given in some (especially Germanic) cultures by the husband to his wife on the first morning after they were married.

Origin

• Normalisation (after morning and gift) of Middle English morgengive, morhȝive, from Old English morgenġifu, morgenġiefu, from Proto-Germanic *murgnagebō ("morning gift"), equivalent to morning + gift. Cognate with Dutch morgengave ("morning gift"), German Morgengabe ("morning gift").